Although most cowboys wear plain or patterned shirts for work, when it comes time for the Saturday night dance with that special cowgirl the boys do know how to dress up. Any man who has cowboy boots probably also has a “good” western shirt for special occasions.
Originally 1920-30s Hollywood cowboys had individually designed “costumes” by people like Nudie. These were generally highly ornate and expensive and not available to the general public but created an image that people wanted to copy. There was an unmet demand for affordable western wear in general and in the 1930s several companies started making western shirts and other related items for the average person. As they became more popular the industry grew until today there are 2,000 western apparel stores selling shirts.
One of the most famous lines, Rockmount Ranch Wear, was founded by “Papa” Jack Weil (1901-2008) who is credited with creating many of the designs and snap shirts that are very popular today. In 1946 he opened a store in Denver, Colorado which quickly became a favorite place to stop for movie stars, singers, celebrities and even real cowboys. They have a huge selection and their older original shirts have become highly valued collectibles.
From the Rockmount website: “His shirts are slim fitting to accentuate the body, whereas conventional shirts were boxy. A better fitting shirt is less likely to get caught or snagged while riding the range. The shirt yokes broaden a man’s shoulders. The flap pockets fasten to better hold their contents. The snap fasteners have a break away function to let loose if the shirt got caught, and hold more permanently than buttons.”
Makes sense to me. Hope they send me a free shirt for the publicity!
You can see the Rockmount shirts by clicking here: Rockmount
And the definitive book about western shirts is at my Beal’s Cowboy Buckles website: Western Shirts: A Classic American Fashion